MUST HAVES: Guide to Perfectly Primping for the Holiday Season

So I don’t know about you — but the holiday season can be rather stressful.

It’s fun, and my favourite time of the year, but seriously?

All the preparations, all the “I don’t know what to wear,” “Crap, I already wore that,” “My head hurts,” “My mascara isn’t going on straight,” “Manicure. Like. Right. Now.” “I broke a nail,” “Who plans a holiday happy hour at 5 p.m.? Some of us work,” “Ugh, they will be there? I don’t want to go anymore, must I?” — Yes, all of that. We’ve all been there. Done. That.

Now here’s how to amend the feelings… just a tad.

From moi to vocÃª, a guide of must own items to transition from winter to spring to summer to autumn and back again, setting the right moods and surviving aside from ample amount of Advil and other things…

Enjoy

SCENT THE MOOD

candles on my livingroom table

Scent is a powerful thing. There is a reason aromatherapy exists as we know it.

I find that when dressing during a stressful or busy period, studying or simply reading a book — a good candle can always brighten your day and make you feel a little better.

Let me tell you. These are so very lovely. They really do evoke that, “leisurely afternoon spent in a Mediterranean garden, the air humid after a sudden downpour,” that they were meant to convey.

The thing about scent, is that I personally feel like if you make a effort to surround yourself with scents outside their season that bring you joy, comfort and luxurious relaxation — then go for it. There isn’t anything stopping you.

MUSIC MI VIDA

I like to listen to good music in all forms and fashions. Like scent, it helps calm me down, pump me up, make me sad, make me happy or evoke a past memory.

So to start you off, here are a few of my Spotify playlists…

**All playlists open in Spotify. If you don’t have the program, download it.**

They are heavily pigmented, you get six shades to mix, match and blend and it’s an ideal palette to take from day-to-night.

One more obligatory photo below

Obsessed. I. Tell. You!

HAIR I GO-GO

On the same note, one of the things that absolutely sucks, and I mean sucks about the holiday season is that, like traveling, you can’t bloody well drag you hair dryer and flat iron with you in your purse (though some of us try!)

So that’s why, the travel kit from Amika is something I adore.

If fact, the mini-flat iron is responsible for touching up my hair in the Jouer photos above.

Not only are these babies the perfect travel size to take with you from home to office to business trip to anywhere else, but they’re also lightweight, work very well and come in cute designs.

As someone who lost a little bit of worry-weight recently from extreme stress, whose dress pants don’t fit her at the moment, and thus, is wearing a lot of skirts and dresses, I can appreciate a good dress when I slip into one.

With the right accessories, like a dress jacket, cardigan, tights and jewelry, particular outfits can be universal uniforms now and LATER!

For example, take a look at this 100% wool dress,Benedicta, from AllSaints. It’s on my holiday wish list (friends and family, I hope you’re reading!)

I tried it on in the fitting room at the All Saints store in SoHo.

Why do I like it? Well, after my friend Jennifer suggested it, I went to see it, and I fell in love with it, because it’s the ultimate versatile piece.

Wear it in the winter with boots or stilettos, a dress jacket or a bomber, wool-lined jacket, and you have two completely different looks. Throw on a belt, or wear it without one and again, more possibilities.

Because the length on this baby, actually varies from below the knee to on the knee itself, it’s less ‘in your face sexy-time’ as most bandage dresses. Furthermore, because its black, you can get away with many more different looks as well.

So when you go shopping, take the time to try on a well-fitting, black, on-or-below the knee dress that you can mold to your moods and the different parts of your life.

black satin pumps against a snake-skin toe and heel from GUESS by Marciano

Even, these Swarovski-encrusted Cinderella shoes from Karen Millen, which are perfect for a wedding, could your over the top gift to yourself from here to eternity. I love them, they sparkle so very, very, very much… *dreamy shoes sigh*

Swarovski-encrusted pumps and clutch from Karen Millen

OR dress it down, with boots from a company like Stetson, or All Saints (below),

… and heck, if your feet hurt after a long night, don’t be ashamed to dress it down-down-down, like Jay Sean says, with some comfy, folding, slip-on flats that can fit into your purse (an ultimate survival tool for every girl out there!) from Kushyfoot!

For $9.99 USD you cannot go wrong.

Do you hear me?

$9.99 — cheap, worthwhile, investment to save your pretty toes!

Oh, yes, yes, comfort is key.

So as you see, holiday primping isn’t about being extra stylish, or being on top of the latest trends.

In fact, if anything, it’s seeking out pieces that you can wear again and transition them from season to season. It’s aboutÂ feeling good, being comfortable and ‘faking it, until you make it’ — bad moods, PMS-ing, breaksups, new romances and all.

Happy Hunting

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Sasha H. Muradali runs the Little Pink Blog (formerly Little Pink Book PR). She holds a B.S. Public Relations from the University of Florida with a minor in Dance (â€™07) and an M.A. International Administration with a concentration in Communication from the University of Miami (â€™08). She loves Twitter(@SashaHalima), Harry Potter and the colour pink. Get a copy of the Little Pink Blogdelivered to your Kindle and find us on Facebook.

OMgosh those Swarovski-encrusted Karen Miller pumps and clutch — TO DIE FOR! Plus the following 2 shoes! And I can’t wait to try out those nail colours!! Great tips on all. You have such good taste, you must be from Brazil 😉 xoxo